34 Calgary Uber operators fined on 2015 licensing charges

CALGARY Thirty-four Uber drivers pleaded guilty to operating without the appropriate licensing and were fined $1,500 each Thursday, nearly two years after they were caught via a covert sting operation launched by city hall.

The day in court marked yet another chapter in the rocky relationship between city officials and the brash U.S.-based ride-share company, which legally launched in Calgary in December following three tumultuous years spent trying to break into the Calgary market.

The charges came after Uber thumbed its nose at city officials and launched in Calgary in midOctober 2015, despite warnings from city officials that its drivers would face heavy penalties for operating outside Calgary’s livery bylaw.

The city followed through on its promise and an ongoing sting operation resulted in several Uber drivers being slapped with infractions for operating without proper insurance or licensing before the U.S.-company ceased operations amid a truce with the city in December 2015.

Uber refused to say Friday if it would pay the fines drivers incurred, offering a statement instead.

“We are aware that some partners have chosen to reach a resolution with the city,” the company said in a statement.

“Since our relaunch in Calgary following the new regulations, our teams are focused on compliance.”

The ride-hailing giant returned to Calgary, legally, in early December, after city council voted 11-4 to tweak the livery transport bylaw, nine months after Uber abandoned Calgary when a new ride-share bylaw the company labelled unworkable was passed in February 2016.